Alanna The Orphan
by juliusc17
Summary: Alanna is orphaned and believed dead in a fire at Trebond, with her hair and eyes dyed nobody believes her claim as Alanna of Trebond. With the help of the Goddess she finds the fire was set and there will be others. Now, she goes to Corus. M for romance.
1. Orphaned, and as good as dead

Hello to everyone, if you read this years ago or you're just starting now, welcome to my story. I haven't been updating for a long time, and I've decided that I should pile even more work into my day by editing the first five chapters of this story, and finally finishing the sixth (*cough* *cough*). Anyway, please enjoy the better grammar and spelling, and PLEASE review.

P.S: To all points and purposes Alanna is in her mid-teens at the beginning of this story. I'll try to avoid any confusion on age.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Tamora Pierce characters or locations.

* * *

"But it's not fair!" cried Alanna as Maude locked the door to her room.

"It'll be as fair as it gets for the rest of the afternoon!" replied Maude while she walked away. "She'll never learn, will she?" The woman muttered while descending the staircase from Alanna's tower. "What next, gods? First honey cakes next gold and jewels! If somebody doesn't stop she'll be gone to the court of Rouge one morning."

Although the healing-woman meant well she had no idea just how right she would be…

Morning

Alanna stared out the window, watching the bustle of Trebond below.

"I can't believe this" She moaned "Locked in my room for a day because I was under-fed!"

_You got yourself in to it__**.**_ Mewed the black, purple eyed cat next to her.

"All I wanted was a honey cake or two". She replied innocently

_Sure, more like eleven or twelve, I saw you trying to dump the whole tray in your lap__**.**_ Replied the feline.

"Did I ask you Faithful?!" she angrily muttered.

_Temper temper__**. **_Chided the cat

_This cat is ANNOYING me._ She thought

Faithful had appeared at Trebond on Alanna's fifth birthday and ever since had been her companion. Ever since she first met him she had also been able to understand his mews at times, although she hadn't always been happy about it.

"You should have been dunked down a well long ago, do you know that?" She asked icily.

_Do you really think I could be persuaded to allow that?_

"Yeow!" shrieked the cat in his natural cat voice as he dodged a pillow hurtling at him.

"You should have more respect for your two-legged caretakers" Said Alanna in her best matter-of-fact noble voice.

_And you should have more respect overall_. The cat replied. _I do believe there are better things to do than sit here and be annoyed by you. Have fun with the rest of your punishment._

"Fine then," the girl said. "But tell me, how do you plan to get past a locked door?"

_Hmm… I'll have to think about that… Not. _Said the cat.

There was a slight "pop" and Alanna's jaw hung open as she realized that the cat had disappeared.

Afternoon & Evening

Alanna was bored and as the afternoon wore on she alternated between being bored looking out the window, in bed, and sitting at her desk.

"Alanna!" shouted a voice from outside, "Alanna open this door!"

"What?! What do you want?!" She mumbled, waking up from a hardly won sleep.

"You slept through dinner, I was ordered to come bring you food." The voice replied

"Thank you for your consideration, and I feel privileged to eat in my own room, but now I must ask you to leave me the hell alone."

"Aww!" the maid gasped "How dare you!"

"Like this" Allana said while opening the door way head level slot and making a gesture that most ladies would pale at.

"Well you won't get any food from me tonight, young miss" The tough maid said in a you-just-made-me-mad-tone.

"Good because you probably dropped lice in it" The girl replied coolly.

The maid servant had now had enough, she locked the outside lock of the door and left thinking about the beating the young girl would get the next morning to sooth her anger.

_That was interesting…_ Said Faithful

"You saw that?!" asked Alanna, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

_Only most of it_

Without saying anything else, Alanna lay down on the bed and cried.

Morning

Allana awoke early in the morning coughing and thinking about the punishments she'd get today. She took a deep breath and her mind suddenly snapped completely awake, realizing the door way cracks were leaking smoke.

"Goddess!" she cried and leapt to the window. Almost the entire main building was on fire and although the distressed inhabitants of Trebond were formed into clumsy bucket brigades it was clear that they couldn't contain the blaze. Allana dared a look to the towers were her father and brother Thom slept and saw that they were already in flames and crumbling to the ground. She leaned out the window and waved her arms.

"I'm alive!" he shouted.

The citizens below all looked up and started murmuring about how it wasn't such a great thing.

"Alanna!" Shouted Maud. "Don't open the door!"

"What?" Allana shouted back.

"Don't open the door, the fire is on the other side!" The wise woman shouted again.

_But how do Faithful and I get out?_ She thought.

"We'll come get you, stay still!" Cried Maud

The tower Shuddered.

"Ow!" Alanna cried and looked to see Faithful clawing into her leg.

_They won't reach us in time, the tower is collapsing. _He said.

"But how do we get out then?" She asked him.

_Go open the trapdoor it's the only way out._ He answered.

"The old one that dumps in the moat? But it hasn't been used in years and it dumps out a good ten feet above the water." Allana whined.

_It's either get dirty and wet or get burned alive in your room!_ He yowled impatiently.

"Alright!" She said and went to open the old trapdoor built into the floor. Once it had been used to dump refuse and waste into the moat and it still smelled like it.

_Sit down with your legs halfway inside._ Faithful told her.

Alanna, impatient, grabbed the black cat and slid into the steeply sloping stone slide.

_Meowwww! This is when I regret following you around. _The cat remarked sharply

"Too baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" Alanna half shouted half squealed.

Allana came up out of the brown water sputtering and doggy paddled to the edge of the surprisingly deep moat. As she came up a loud groaning sound started behind her and looking back she, without a second's hesitation, started sprinting away from the moat. The reason for this was that behind her the old tower that was built into the wall that served as her chambers came crashing down into the moat.

"Great Mithros and Almighty Mother protect me, whelp that I am!" she muttered as she ran, unaware of the fact that her long hair was clumped and dyed almost black with filth from the less-than-sanitary moat.

When she stopped running she was roughly halfway between Trebond and the surrounding forest. As she started walking toward the crowd she was horrified to see two cloth wrapped bundles in the middle of everything. With her heart pounding she stopped and listened to a member of the small active militia force remark "It's a shame, the lord, ole' Maud and the young lady gone with the tower and the little lord Thom in his own tower still burning."

"Hey! You over there where's my father?" She shouted.

"Scat tramp!" A man said angrily. "Your daddy's probably out drunk in the woods, this ain't no business of yours!"

"I'm Alanna of Trebond and I demand to see my father's corpse!" she said back.

"You! You're no Alanna wench! Your hair isn't even brown, much less red!"

The man came over, and throwing her on the ground, gave her a hard kick in the side. "That'll teach you to try takin' a noble's place!" He snarled

"You have the manners of a pig!" The outraged girl shouted.

"How dare you! You're-" The man was cut off by a burly arm wrapped around his neck.

"Excuse me?" Coram said.

"Sir!" the guardsman yelped when he realized the veteran soldier and un-official trainer and discipliner of the guards was there.

"She was….." He stopped when he realized that Coram must have seen it all.

"I am well aware of what happened." He said dryly. "Now, you had no reason to insult this girl and much less to kick her. She was probably looking to get some food or coin by trying to act like Allana, not knowing she couldn't possibly pass as the girl."

"What!?" Shouted the guard furiously.

"Silence!" Coram shouted in a voice that could be heard in Corus. "Let me see your purse." As the guard reluctantly handed over his purse Coram gave the other guards standing there a disciplinary talk. "Men, your duty is to keep order in Trebond, that means following ITS laws, not your own! Now I hope you all learn from what happens to this fellow!" Coram opened the purse and took a count of its contents. "Two gold and eight silver nobles in here. So what you owe her is 1 gold noble each for insult and kick plus half as tax and since you only have another eight silver nobles the rest I'll pay myself and will thus come from your pay this week. Here you go girl, two gold nobles and ten silver, a total value of four gold nobles. Now go, before these men come off watch and burn down the forest trying to find you." The final part was whispered in her ear.

"Yes sir." She said, realizing that even Coram had no idea it was her.

Evening

Alanna sat with her back to a large willow deep in the forest surrounding Fief Trebond, crying. She didn't cry for her father, she didn't cry for Trebond, she cried because Coram and Maud, who had loved her either believed she was dead or believed she was living happily in Trebond, neither of which were true at the moment. She also cried for her lose of them. She heard the rustle of late autam leaves and looked up to see a tall hooded figure standing in front of the setting sun…………

EDITED: 5/9/10


	2. Encounters with Gods and boys

Disclaimer: I do not own any Tamora Pierce characters or locations.

…………_.She heard the rustle of late autumn leaves and looked up to see a tall hooded figure standing in front of the setting sun…………_

To Alanna the woman, for it did seem to be a woman, seemed to have an invisible aura of great dignity and power, the fact that she was standing straight and proud at at least seven feet reinforced that.

"Alanna." The woman's voice was somewhat deep and echoed with untold power and knowledge.

"Yes?" She responded meekly, all thought of the disaster earlier that day gone.

"Why are you still here?"

"I don't have any other place to go-" She was cut off by the Goddess, This **was** the Great Mother Goddess, something in Alanna screamed it.

"Alanna, you know that you do." The Goddess said gently. "This is not the place for you any more, you'll come back one day but that will be years from now, now you have a destiny to fulfill, one that will help women rise in this world."

Alanna looked up at the goddess with sad eyes, "but who will get me through it?" She asked. "My family is dead except maybe for Thom, I'm believed dead by the whole of Trebond and even Faithful has left me-"

_What part of my name did you not understand?_ The purple eyed cat meowed

"Faithful!" Alanna cried "Where did you go?!"

_When I felt the presence of a Great God I __had__ to go see what she was here for, and it turns out we'll have quite some adventures together in the future._

"Oooooohhhhhhh you horribly messy cat, if you didn't have those eyes you'd look like a mud statue." She scolded

_I'm sure you think you're fit for a banquet with the king right now don't you? _The cat meowed sarcastically.

"Hmm-hmm" The Goddess said. "You have your companion back Alanna, trust his guidance and abilities for he will not fail you."

"O-oh y-yes, thank you G-goddess." She stammered.

"Now, you will have to journey to Corus, there you'll meet people who will help you." Goddess began to say.

"With what?" Alanna interrupted before she could control herself.

"The Trebond fire was set by a mage Alanna-"

Alanna gasped "But, it-"

"As I was saying it **was** set by a mage, and there will be others, the crown already suspects that there is a plot to take the throne and this is part of it." The Goddess said. "Once you get there you'll find a boy named George Cooper, stay with him and learn his trade, I will give you further instructions later."

"How do Faithful and l get to Corus though?" She asked

"Tomorrow afternoon, a caravan will pass on the road that lies at the opening of that trail. Bathe in the pool in the other direction then go there. There will be a chestnut mare that is tied to the end wagon, stop the man driving and offer him two gold nobles for the mare and everything necessary to care for it with a mans saddle, he will agree, once that is done, you will meet his son, ask him for a pair of breeches and a tunic, pay him five copper nobles. Follow the trail back here and change into the clothes. The mare will show you the way to Corus. Unfortunately, only time and washing will clear the new color from your eyes and hair, so don't try any miracle cures." The Goddess added, and before Alanna could say anything else was gone.

**Morning**

Alanna woke up to the sound of birds twittering. "Time to get my very own horse." She muttered and got out of bed. She found the pool and stripped off her clothes and waded in, she wasn't worried about anyone finding her, it was only around an hour past dawn and all inhabitants of Trebond that had the time to swim also had the time to sleep for at least two more hours, she took off the light breaches that she had slept in the morning before and soaked them in the pool along with her tunic and boots she had jumped out of the tower with. When she judged she and her clothes were clean enough she laid them on a rock ledge to dry and swam in the fairly deep and large spring, she also scrubbed her hair under the ten foot waterfall that thankfully wasn't at its full power in autumn. Although she tried her best, she couldn't get her hair back to its natural orange, it instead stayed caramel colored. She assumed that something in the moat water had also turned her eyes the shade of brown speckled green.

She had almost finished dressing in her dried clothes when a tall boy walked out of the forest, she gasped………

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EDITED: 5/10/10


	3. Hints at the future and one BIG dog

_She had almost finished dressing in her dried clothes when a tall boy walked out of the forest, she gasped………_

"Gods cursed stormwing piss!" She muttered, as she grabbed the remainder of her clothes and dived into the bushes by the rock out cropping. "I must have stayed here longer than I thought," she said. As she looked up at the sky, she realized that it was at least three hours after sunrise.

_Tsk tsk tsk_ faithful clucked. _I would have thought that the Goddess' chosen would be smart enough to get out of the water at least two hours __after__ she went in._ The cat had also gotten clean somehow, something that right now annoyed Alanna more than his sarcasm.

"Quiet you furball!" she snapped. "I know people hear your voice like a cat's but it would seem strange for one to be ducked behind a holly bush with a half dressed girl!"

_Really? Then maybe now wouldn't be such a good time to tell you…._

"Tell me what?!" Alanna snapped as she put on her shirt.

_Oh nothing... Just that you're crouching in a nice mixture of poison ivy and fire ant nests………_

"What!?" she cried, leaping up.

"…It's alright Ned, nobody's here-"The tall boy began to call back into the forest. "What the..!" He cut himself off and started running at Alanna, she got to turn around and took around ten steps before she was tackled and fell on the ground with one arm already behind her back threatening to be broken by the boy.

"You're not too shabby a runner." She gasped. In reality she was impressed, she could beat every boy in Trebond at running, this kid wasn't local.

"I suggest you tell me what in the name of Mithros you're doing here." The boy said calmly while he made her sit up

Alanna sighed, _just like men to invoke the name of Mithros on a __**woman, **_she thought. "Why don't you go first?" she asked while pressing the small dagger she carried on her person against his heart.

"Alright." He said, "you got me, last fooled admits first, and I guess since you can't be a noble with those clothes you're not in **that** category of danger. I'm heading toward the road were the caravan will cross this afternoon, I plan to buy a horse and travel to Corus, there I'm to meet a certain George Cooper."

"And you're alone?" She asked as she twisted out of his grip, still keeping her knife against his chest, then transferring to his throat. "Because, funny story, I got that same set of directions from a VERY reliable source.

"Yes I-" He began, then seeing her eyebrows starting to rise gave up. "Ned! Come out boy!" He called.

Alanna yelped, out of the bushes had just trotted the biggest dog she had ever seen, this 'Ned' was at least four feet tall at the shoulder and jet black. She immediately put down the knife. The boy, starting to reach to jump on her again also stopped when Faithful walked out of the bushes.

_Nice doggy._ He remarked.

_Excuse me?_ The dog asked.

_Poor little dog, of course you are excused._ The cat said teasingly._ I suppose we both know why the other is here?_

_Of course__._ Ned replied

_Well he's either going to be blamed for whatever happens to me and Alanna or he's going to be shouted at for interfering, either way, welcome to the club. _The cat said.

As this conversation went on the two humans standing by were both mentally kicking themselves. Both registered every word being said between the animals, neither of which was bothering to conceal the fact that they were talking to each other.

"So, you're stuck with a talking animal too?" The boy finally asked. "Oh, I'm sorry, were are my manners, I'm Cedric. I'm currently the only one of the Scanran royal line alive, as an outburst of plague has killed my family and I am believed dead. For some reason nobody will believe my claim as prince."

Alanna looked over the loosely dressed youth, he had an odd appearance for a Scanran, with dirty blond hair, forest green eyes, high cheekbones, and a bottom lip fuller than the upper he looked more like a mix of Carthaki and Bazhir. Alanna, only now taking a good at him and Ned realized several things, first of all that the boy cut a handsome figure, with well-muscled arms and legs he looked fit and active, also he was somewhat under-fed which said that he had been away from civilization or without money for a long time. She also noticed that the dog's and his eyes were exactly the same shade of green, like several layers of treetop canopy with the sun shining through and lighting only some of the leaves.

From Cedric's view he saw a girl his own age, with strange brown flecked green eyes. She was his age, maybe a year or so younger, she was skinny, though not under-fed, with some-what muscled arms, a face that portrayed stubbornness, a button nose, and brownish hair. She had a handsome figure, with a tall, shapely body. What interested him most was the fact that her hands were callused, maybe even slightly scarred, as if from sword work.

"So, what's your story?" Cedric asked.

"I'm Alanna of Trebond, the fief near here, there was a giant fire there yesterday, I'm in your position, orphaned and believed dead. My hair's dyed by dirty moat water, as are my eyes, my hair is really orange, my eyes are purple. That's about it."

"A perfectly believable story, now, I know you aren't lying to me, neither are you telling me the full story. I also know that you know I'm not lying to you, but I'm not telling everything to you either. One day I'm sure, that, if we're still together and alive we'll tell each other, for now, let's find the caravan." The boy finished and stood up from his crouch.

"Do you have money?" She asked pointedly.

"Yes, four of your gold nobles worth." Cedric said.

"Alright, then I only need to use part of my money," she said.

"What do you need?" The boy asked.

"Oh, a horse, some tunics and at least two pairs of breeches, and a decent belt knife that I can use for various things." She said as they approached the road.

"Sounds like you'll need three gold nobles at best." He said as they sat on a pair of stumps by the road to wait.

"You'd be surprised at the bargains I can get." She said loftily, then leaned back and closed her eyes.

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EDITED: 5/10/10


	4. Becoming a boy & thoughts of the future

Alanna woke from her nap to the sound of horses and a cloud of dust coming from around a bend in the road.

"The caravan's almost here," Cedric said.

"I can see, smell, and hear that." Alanna said irritably.

"Ouch," Cedric replied sarcastically. "This "lovely maiden's" tongue is almost as sharp as her dagger, and twice as deadly."

_Kids, stop fighting. _Said Ned.

_Yes, do._ Said Faithful.

"Shut-"Alanna started

"Up" Said Cedric

"Exactly," Said Alanna. "Now, you go get your horse, and I'll get mine."

"Sounds good. Try not to get in trouble" He said.

"Same for you." Said Alanna and then went to find the wagon at the end of the caravan.

Alanna purchased the chestnut mare for one gold noble, a miserly price, then bought some new clothes and a decent belt knife, along with an actual belt.

Cedric, went up to a cart roughly in the middle of the caravan, and, after much bartering, bought a four year old midnight black stallion that had a perfect diamond of white on his forehead and a white stripe down the spine. He then followed Alanna's example and bought a belt knife, along with a spare change of clothes. He then went back, sat on the stump and waited.

Alanna had, meanwhile gone back to the pool of water, let her mare drink, tied her to a tree, loosely enough that she could graze on the lush grass, then waded into the pool. She then soaked her hair in the waterfall, swam back to shore, sat on a rock, and then, using her belt knife, cut her hair, she was actually pleased by the result, as she hadn't done it herself in a long time. After that she rinsed her hair again, dressed, and saddled her mare, then went back to the two stumps

She arrived to find Cedric sitting on the ground, leaning on one of the stumps, snoring.

His horse, a finicky young, black, stallion was tethered to the other stump.

"Sleepy head!" She shouted. "The world's growing old and the seasons are changing!"

"Whu- were am I?" Cedric said groggily.

"You're sitting on a stump some three miles from Trebond and roughly ten days ride from Corus, happy?" She said impatiently. "Now, saddle up and let's get MOVING."

"Alright sheesh. Now, where have our lovely, furry, personal demons gone? Ned! Come here or we're leaving without you! Wait- what in the name of Ki- I mean Mithros did you do to your hair!?" The boy said.

"I cut it, in case you haven't noticed, life in general is MUCH easier for boys." She said.

"Suit yourself, but you won't cut a very boyish figure without a breast band." The boy said flatly.

"Yes I know, I tried to get some bandages but the wagon driver didn't have any and I figured it would be a waste of time searching, I'll get some from an inn along the way." She said.

As the dog and cat came trotting leisurely out of the woods and Cedric saddled his horse she thought about what exactly they were going to do. In the bright light of day it seemed rather improbable that she and this boy who she had known for only a few short hours, would journey to Corus, the capital of Tortal to fulfill some kind of destiny. Although she doubted that the mother goddess had sent Cedric, she realized that he _**was**_ sent by some higher power, maybe god, even if he wouldn't admit it. And the strange cutoff when he started to say something, she didn't know any god's name that started with ki. Could he be serving some demon, or worse, an immortal warlord? The immortals, legendary creatures that could not be killed by old age or disease, had been known since before Tortal's written history. Although powerful mages had tried many times to send them back to the divine realms from which they were believed to come never have they succeeded. The greatest fear of all people was that the immortals would band together, although usually they were to busy fighting each other to consider bonding together to attack humans, it was still a threat.

As they started down the road, Alanna realized something. "Damn!" she swore

"What?" Cedric asked, confused as to why she had sworn.

"I don't suppose you have any food in some invisible saddle bag?" She said, frustrated.

"Damn!" He shouted. "He didn't say anything about food………………" He muttered dejectedly.

_Would you two like to exchange curses for a few more hours or do you want to hear what we have to say? _Faithful, who had been silent while perched on Alanna's shoulder asked. Before waiting for them to reply, the cat went on, _while you two messed around, we went up the road, around two miles ahead there's an inn._

_In around twenty minutes if we travel like this we'll reach it. _Said Ned.

"I'm for getting there sooner, at the prospect of food, I get hungry." Said Cedric.

"Last one there buys the food, first buys only drinks!" Shouted Alanna as she urged her horse, who she had dubbed Sandstorm, into a gallop.

Evening

Cedric lay under his horse's blanket gazing at the stars, wondering. The past few days had been strange. With his family gone he didn't have anywhere to go except to Corus or back home he would be believed dead. Here he had opportunities; the court of Rogue was in Corus. He hadn't exactly stayed in his room every night, although he had only minor thieving skills they could be developed and eventually………………

_Eventually……………………._

EDITED:5/10/10


	5. Behind Purple Eyes

_Eventually…_

Evening (continued)

Alanna lay watching the stars and hearing the rustle of wind in the pine trees. She was confused, by this whole situation: the destiny that lay before her, the boy who she barely knew, that had an equally mysterious fate set before him. She had no idea what to do, should she trust him? Or should she sneak away right now? It was all just so strange…

"Goddess help me," she whispered before surrendering to the weariness that was pushing her into sleep.

Cedric was standing in a field full of grass, everything was perfectly still.

"Cedric!" Came a whispering voice, seemingly carried by a non existing wind."Yes, Ki-" He was cut off by the same voice.

"Quiet! Do not speak my name, my siblings may be listening." The voice paused, and then continued."The girl you are with, she is looked over by my sister"

"Wh-what!" Cedric shouted, "I thought I was fulfilling some overblown prophecy, not going on a suicide mission!"

"Yes, I was just getting to that," the voice continued, obviously annoyed. "It just so happens I went to talk to her" He cut off. "Well, to put it simply she's royally pissed off, and she royally pissed offedly forbade me from being in the same country as that girl, that's why I can only whisper to you, and that only in your dreams. Listen Cedric, for me to tell  
you everything you must go to". The whisper got softer, and then disappeared completely, and Cedric woke up."Damn it!" He shouted, completely awake.

"What?" Said Alanna groggily, awakened by his shout.

"N-nothing," he hastily said.

"Great mother- Cedric couldn't you wait until after at least seven in the morning to jump up screaming about bad dreams!?" She said, exasperated.

"It wasn't" He cut off, and then playing her assumption to his advantage began again, "You're right, I had a bad dream and I am a wus….sorry." He said in his best imitation of a sheepish voice.

She looked at him, thought about a nice way to say what she was going to say, and spat it out, "You're a dirty rotten liar."

"What!?" He said, indignant at being insulted.

"Ever since I was a little girl I could tell when people were lying, I just can, you don't have to tell me the truth, but just admit that you can't or you don't want to if you really want to keep something from me, don't try to lie." She explained matter-of-fact-ly.

Cedric just stared at her in a blank, shocked way.

"Alright then, I guess we should pack up and move out," Alanna said, bewildered.

**9 days later**

"What's that?!" Cried Cedric, pointing at a smudge on the horizon, just visible in the dawn light.

"Idiot" Mumbled Alanna under her breath, then said more loudly, "well, let's see, we've been riding for nine days, on a royal road, headed for Corus, the capital of Tortal, which is around ten days away from Trebond, which is where we started. WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE?!"

"Alright sheesh, what put you in a bad mood?" Said Cedric.

"The fact that we've been riding for nine days with almost no sleep, hard biscuits as our only food and tired horses!" Shouted Alanna, annoyed beyond any conceivable annoyance.

**12 hours later**

"Hey you!" Yelled a guard at the gate of Corus.

"Uh-oh," said Cedric under his breath, tensing in his saddle.

As the guard approached he was mildly surprised by the slight orange streaks in the hair of the short haired girl, but choosing to ignore it walked up to them with his pike in hand. As he approached the horses shifted nervously, staring at the razor sharp blade at the tip of the solid oak spear.

"All entering the city of Corus must pay a fine of twelve gold pieces." Said the guard in a rough voice.

Cedric glanced over at the rest of the people going into the city. The guard was trying to make some gold, they couldn't afford to give him the coin, but they couldn't refuse either, as he would probably make up some larger fine that was real and impose it on them. Just as Cedric was reaching into his purse, the guard jerked around, and Cedric and Alanna saw a young man turn toward them. He motioned toward the gate, then started sprinting in the opposite direction with the guard's over-stuffed purse jingling dully in his hand.

"Well….." Said Alanna, "I think we should take the guy's advice while he runs circles around that fat sleeze bag of a guard."

"I agree" said Cedric, and remounted his horse. Then the small caravan of the strange girl and boy, along with the cat and dog proceeded through the gate, and through the city, settling at a modest inn called the Dancing Dove.

Approaching the young barmaid he got a sly smile. "Good evening," he said with a grin.

"Good evening indeed" Said the barmaid, "how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a man named George Cooper, have you heard of him?" Asked Cedric.

"Shhhh!" Said the barmaid urgently. "If you know what's good for you, you won't mention his name in here. Trust me, if you really need to find him he'll find you, but he's not currently welcome here…………….."

EDITED:5/10/10


	6. City Life

This really spans more than three years' worth of writing… Enjoy

**

* * *

Life for Cedric and Alanna was boring, they had been in Corus for almost a month, and had spent every other day looking for Cooper. They had walked at least ten times across the city by Alanna's count and were now running very short on money.**

Long after Alanna had fallen asleep, Cedric was pacing the floor of the room they now shared because of lack of money.

Suddenly a gray fog clouded his vision and he fell to the floor with a dull thud……………

Alanna, woken by the noise next to her bed sat up with a start, and grabbed the dagger she kept under her pillow out of its sheath. Not seeing anything in the pitch black room thanks to the moonless night, she fumbled around her bedside, finally finding a candle proceeded to light it with a small piece of flint and the dagger in her hand. She struggled at this for a good twenty seconds, trying in vain to get the wax covering the wick of the new candle to be melted by the spray of sparks the flint and steel produced. Exasperated she threw the flint to the floor.

"Light, damn it!" She shouted. Suddenly the candle burst into flame, taken by surprise, she dropped the candle on the floor, igniting the hay strewn on the floor.

"Aw shit! Not again!" She cursed through her teeth as she grasped the pitcher of water on her table.

"What the hell?" Cedric mumbled as he pulled himself to his feet. He was in a valley, surrounded by towering mountains on all sides and barren except for grass and the one tree he had been passed out against. He noticed it was a huge willow.

"So you're awake." Said a strange voice

"Huh?" Ask Cedric, feeling dazed. "Is that you k-"

A figure, wrapped in a dark cloak suddenly appeared beside him. Taking off the cloak, the figure, a she, he now realized, revealed a face so perfect it could not have been mortal.

"Cedric, I don't like you. I don't like your patron god, and I don't like your family." She said.

"Great mother!" Cedric exclaimed, realizing who he was speaking with.

"Yes?" She asked, looking puzzled by his sudden outburst. Seeing a stunned silence from Cedric, she continued. "I'm simply here to have a little discussion. Your current companion is of some interest to me, and I'd like to establish a few things." At this, she glared at him. "She's your responsibility, I can't do anything directly, but trust me, I'll know if anything happens, and I'll make sure that you'll never get back if something DOES happen." Cedric's eyes widened at this. "Anyway," the goddess said "You might want to wake up now," fading into the mist. The tree suddenly started glowing, and Cedric realized that the hanging branches, formerly comforting, were sparking. Flames started spreading, and as he became enclosed in the inferno, he woke up.

As he sat up, dazed, Cedric smelled smoke. He yelped and jumped up when he saw fire spreading through the straw next to him. He saw Alanna reaching for a pitcher of water to put out the blaze, which had by now spread across a good part of the hay. He grabbed the blanket off of the bed, and flung it over the flames.

Alanna gasped, both at the sudden turn of events and the fact that she was wearing little while sleeping. There was a singed smell in the room, but luckily it seemed that no one had noticed the commotion. Cedric was standing next to the bed, though he looked unsteady on his feet.

"Are you alright?" Asked Alanna.

"Yes, are you?"

"I suppose… Just a little-"

"Do you mind telling me what exactly just happened?!" Cedric interrupted.

"I- I heard something, and I tried to light a candle… It's kind of… Happened before" She said nervously. "When I get mad, like when I'm trying to untie a knot or light a fire, it's as if I can just tell the rope to unravel or the wood to burst into flame." Alanna looked up. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Cedric, still faint from his dream, scratched his head. "It sounds like you have some of the Gift in you."

"What?"

"You know…" He said. "The magical power of the Goddess. You haven't ever heard of it?"

"My father said that magic was an abomination" She responded. "But Thom always said he had some magic."

"Well," said Cedric "We should get back to sleep. Tomorrow will probably be another day spent looking around for Cooper."

Cedric threw the burnt straw out of the room's one small window, and piled some next to the bed. Alanna settled back under the scratchy blanket, and blew out of the candle.

As Cedric lied down on the floor and shut his eyes, he heard Alanna say something.

"Cedric?" She whispered.

"Yes?" He answered.

"I don't think I can sleep with… The smoke." She said.

"Should I open the window?" He asked, thinking temporarily of the quality of the neighborhood, compared to the height and location of their window.

"Yes, but- Do you think you could come next to me?" Said Alanna, thinking of how rosy her cheeks must be. So Cedric opened the window and climbed into bed.

He put an arm over the strange young girl, who he still didn't know what to think of; and although only the gods were aware, for the first time in millennia the royal blood of Tortal and Scanra shared a bed.

* * *

Well, there we are. The official date of completion is 5/9/10 at 8:55 PM US Eastern. This'll be posted after a grammatical revision of the previous chapters. Thanks to everyone who's stuck around, and welcome to everyone new. No promises on chapter seven, I'd say July-August. Please Review.


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